Washing machine in garage

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I'm having an extension built. The extension will have a door into garage. I'm going to have a cold water supply taken to the end of the garage and a foul water drain added so I can install a washing machine in the garage.

BEaring in mind the recent prolonged cold weather, what are the things to keep in mind for the installation? Presumably plastic pipe at 600mm or lower depth is reasonably protected from frost. But then at the point it comes up and enters the garage, is it best to keep it plastic out of the ground and then junction to lagged copper with isolation tap and drain-off point over drain at point it goes into the garage?

(Garage is on a concrete pad and it isn't going to work well trying to chase into that)
 
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Anyone who installs water and water using apliances into an unheated area is barking mad and deserves everything that happens to them..... Feel free to learn from what has happened here and in NI
 
Agree with corgigrouch, I've attended 17 callouts this week and at least 5 of them were bursts on hot and cold pipework feeding washing machines in unheated garages and utility rooms. Majority of those were lagged with 25mm wall thickness byelaw insulation, yet still burst.

If you are laying pipework underground you should abide by water regulations which state that the pipe must be laid between 750mm and 1350mm deep and appropriate pipe such as blue mdpe, but even done this way there is very little you can do for the above ground pipework.

I would look for an alternative such as putting it in the house (a utility/kitchen etc) otherwise you could end up having many problems throughout the winter.
 
Even if you manage to insulate the pipework adequately - including the drainage trap - you can still get the pipework within the washing machine freezing up, especially at the entry and exit points. I certainly did. Had to lug the machine indoors to thaw it out. Luckily there was no permenant damage - except possibly to my back.
 
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Thanks for your replies, given the recent cold weather it concerns me and that's why I'm taking more advice - I share your doubts. Elsewhere on DIYnot there seem to be those who say it can work OK and people who've had leak/freezing experiences.

It is strange nobody else has queried. The plans were drawn up by an architect I've employed. Those plans have been past BC without comment, they've also been past my water undertaker (had to get their approval as house is pre1936 and I have a combined public sewer in back garden, water people were very picky about some aspects but didn't query supply to garage). And my builder seems OK with it, (maybe I should trust his plumber to get the install right to meet water regs and bc, or say no don't do it, or maybe he'd just follow the approved plans).

Your comments and what I've read indicate must be blue mdpe pipe at least 750mm deep (or in insulated ducting if shallower), the rising pipe must be well lagged (eg Armaflex, or better to continue plastic out of ground obviously with lagging?) and then box around above-ground section with further lagging. I think I read in one place use ducting on rising section and lag heavily but make sure rodent proof, it there special fitting for that? Inside garage behind WM and near where supply comes in, fit low power tubular heater (designed for greenhouses and conservatory frost protection) on a thermostat. Have stoptap inside property so the outside/garage bit can be isolated independently.

Is there some sort of trace heating (electric) that can be fitted to rising section of pipe on thermostatic control?

With these measures is this still not advisable? I have a fixed price from builder so it isn't going to cost any more now. The space saving (room for dryer too) and sound/vibration benefit of getting WM out of the house would be a real boon.

Thanks for the advice, appreciated.
 
My mate thought it was a good idea to put his washing machine in the garage last year. Not so clever during the first cold spell a few weeks ago though. Although the main incoming supply was lagged, the flexible hose to the w/machine wasn't and froze solid. The waste pipe too was frozen as was the water that remained in the pump.
Put your washing machine in the garage by all means , but you will have to provide some sort of heating close to the machine itself, to stop other parts of it freezing too. ;) ;)
 

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